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For ten consecutive days, His days were spent like this: practicing swordplay, drawing talismans, and cultivating the Minor Breath Concealment Technique.

Jiang Ding lived a very comfortable life. He didn't lack resources, his studies progressed steadily, and there were no insurmountable problems. He could see his own progress every day.

Sizzle~

With a stroke of the brush, the dense array diagrams on the table made a sound, then emitted green smoke, with the center turning into charred black carbon.

"The Spirit Gathering Array is indeed one of the top-tier first-rank arrays. The Great Sun Spirit Gathering Array is even more difficult. I failed again..."

Jiang Ding sighed, put down the Talisman Brush, and slowly recalled the various details of drawing the talisman before, committing them to memory.

Fortunately, the Talisman Brush, Talisman Paper, and Spirit Ink were all specially made practice materials from the Immortal Sect. If successful, there was a slight reaction, and if unsuccessful, there were no serious consequences. They were also inexpensive and recyclable.

Compared to Outer Realm low-level cultivators who had to work for days or even months for a single practice session, the difference was at least a hundredfold.

It was through these kinds of techniques as a foundation that the Immortal Sect's alchemists, array masters, artifact refiners, and other technical talents were greatly enriched.

There were even Outer Realm cultivators who wanted to imitate them.

But they discovered that although these techniques seemed unremarkable and were only used by low-level cultivators, the technological content within them was extremely high. It required the full effort of the nine great Immortal Sects, and even needed the sect's ancestors and a large number of high-level cultivators to participate before there was a chance to overcome them.

Yes, only a chance. Research and development were like that.

Given this, who would have the guts to do such a thing?

The Immortal Sects belonged to the powerful ancestors of the sects, not the other way around, where powerful sect members would disregard their own cultivation to serve a minor cultivator like you.

Anyone who dared to do so, even the most favored disciple, would be slapped to death.

Practice Talisman Paper, educational system pills, optical array engraving machines, Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art, Law-Breaking Steel... and so on. They seemed unremarkable and were found everywhere in daily life.

But which one wasn't the result of the painstaking efforts of Immortal Sect predecessors over thousands of years? None of them were easily created by a genius having a sudden idea.

It required a vast and complex cultivation industrial system, a continuous stream of cultivation talents, and technological accumulation.

Jiang Ding suddenly looked up, gazing at the distant sky.

At the city gate, Many soldiers in black armor were shocked beyond words. A large crowd of civilians scattered, not daring to obstruct them.

"The Four Seas Merchant Guild... they've taken a fall."

"Hiss~ Who could have done it? This is the Four Seas Merchant Guild's 'Heavenly Dragon Spear,' Long Zhengwu, a renowned expert at Inner Qi Perfection!"

Amidst the discussions of many people, Long San gritted his teeth, tightly clutching his severed arm from which blood continued to seep.

The other members of the Four Seas Merchant Guild were in similar states: some with severed limbs, others lying on carriages barely clinging to life. They were a sorry sight, with more than half fewer people than when they had left the city.

Even 'Heavenly Dragon Spear' Long Zhengwu had a pale face and was severely injured.

"Our Four Seas Merchant Guild will not forget this humiliation!"

Long San uttered each word with immense hatred.

In this battle, more than half of the elite escort team had died or were injured. A large portion of them were Long family disciples, many of whom were his uncles, nephews, and childhood friends who had watched him grow up.

And one of them was his eldest son.

Long Zhengwu, with slightly graying temples, leaned on his black iron spear, silent.

As they passed by the street, many people showed schadenfreude.

The Four Seas Merchant Guild had grown powerful by encroaching on the interests of many.

And although they were extremely generous to distinguished guests, those they wanted to win over, they were not so kind to those below them or to smaller forces. Huang Deyou's friends, Xiao Cui, and others knew this all too well.

At this moment, it felt like everyone was kicking them while they were down.

Long San's veins bulged, looking ferocious enough to devour people, scaring the bystanders away. He then calmed down.

"Uncle-Grandfather, it was my fault this time. I thought we could take all the profit." Tears streamed down his face. "After this matter is settled, I will go to the family's Luojin Hall to accept my punishment!"

"Bastard!"

Long Zhengwu roared, "Why are you trying to absolve me? My son is stuck at a bottleneck. This matter was my instruction!"

They looked at each other, silently shedding tears.

"Oh my, Long San, how did you get injured?"

A slightly shrill voice came from not far away. "I told you, East Spirit Mountain is deep and treacherous, and you're not used to it. You insisted on going, and now look at you?"

Long San and Long Zhengwu suddenly looked up, staring intently ahead.

A stout, burly man in a golden toad-embroidered robe was spinning two iron balls the size of bull's eyes in his hands. A group of servants surrounded him as he spoke slowly, "Poor my nephew, Long Yueyue. He was only in the Inner Qi Realm at such a young age, and might even have hoped for Innate in the future. Now he's dead here because of his father."

As this person appeared, The street immediately quieted down considerably, to the point where you could hear a pin drop.

If the Four Seas Merchant Guild, despite its cruel methods, still had some semblance of a major merchant guild's reputation and always had justifiable reasons for its actions, this 'Spring Breeze Hand' was not so particular.

His 'Spring Breeze' was only for the friends he used in the martial world.

"Alas! And that nephew of yours, Long San, what a pity..."

Ding Feng put on a look of sorrow for the world and grief.

To his surprise, even with his instigation, the two opposite him, despite their bloodshot eyes, remained calm, easily knocking down several young disciples who rushed forward.

"Shopkeeper Ding's chess skills are superior. This time, my Four Seas Merchant Guild has lost."

Long Zhengwu cupped his hands and said with a smile, "It's alright. My Four Seas Merchant Guild does business all over the Yue Kingdom. If we lose here, we can make up for it elsewhere. We'll meet again."

With that, he ignored Ding Feng's provocation and led his people away.

Ding Feng's sorrowful expression vanished, his face shifting with uncertainty.

Not far away, a group of black-clothed constables who had arrived at some unknown time saw there was nothing for them to do and quietly left.

Rotten Plank Street, the general store.

A young man in green robes walked out a thousand miles to greet them, standing with his hand on his sword.

An invisible aura spread out, causing the people coming and going around him to automatically make way, forming a large empty circle around him.

"Young Master Jiang."

Long San couldn't suppress his emotions, tears streaming down his face, "My Four Seas Merchant Guild is incompetent. We underestimated ourselves and overestimated our abilities. Please forgive us."

"All the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies accumulated over these ten-plus days have been lost and were seized by the bandits of Fierce Tiger Stronghold."

Although he had already anticipated it, Jiang Ding couldn't help but twitch his brow, a hint of killing intent emanating from him.

"Shopkeeper Long, this is a minor matter. Focus on healing."

Jiang Ding comforted him and led everyone into the store.

In the backyard, the three sat facing each other, and Jiang Ding slowly learned the detailed information about the incident.

"Ultimately, it was my greed that caused this. I forgot the ancestral teaching of sharing profits." Long San said bitterly, "Although some gold, silver, old medicines, and aged ginseng were shared, how could those people be satisfied?"

"Everything before was just a ruse."

Jiang Ding frowned, "Are you saying that major powers within the city were involved in this?"

"It's inevitable."

'Heavenly Dragon Spear' Long Zhengwu sneered, "Although they were masked and disguised, and no one used their signature techniques, where would a small East Spirit Prefecture get three cultivators at Inner Qi Perfection and so many Martial Artists at the Inner Qi Realm?"

"Don't worry, Young Master." Long San said in a low voice, "These people went to such great lengths to snatch them, they certainly wouldn't let the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies be harmed. The butterfly collecting in East Spirit Mountain won't stop."

"Soon, someone should come to contact you."

"As for this matter, my Four Seas Merchant Guild is done here."

He gave a cold smile.

"There will be a day for reckoning!"